Amtrak cross country help- first time AMTRAK

[Bookbear]

Just how much is considered carry-on? I was thinking one of those small carts to hold a suitcase for 2 weeks clothing, laptop, CPAP, DVD/radio, all strapped onto the wheelie thing. 12 hour trip w/3 hour layover in Chicago. I have no idea of return date so don't know if they offer open-end round trip tickets and didn't price round-trip.What do you guys think or have to offer regarding the coach seat? the amount of "carry-on" luggage and the round trip ticket bit? Any advice or suggestions? Much more than $100 one way I can drive it as cheaply. Two tanks of gas one way and 12 hour drive.

Carry-on is essentially unlimited unless the car is full. There are racks over head (larger than airline bins) as well as shelves in a compartment at the end of each chair car. Bags have to be carry on size, but no one counts the number, and you can have as many ounces of liquids as you like!

Tickets can be written open ended. R/T is sometimes cheaper than two one-ways, but not always. Varies by route and season.

Not sure why you are getting two different prices for the same seat. You could call Amtrak and ask.

Happy Rails!

[Bookbear]

I am considering an amtrak trip. Are the bathrooms and dining car booths, hallways, etc. roomy enough for very plus size people to use in comfort? Airplane seats are totally miserable for me.

The smallest compartments (singles) would be tight, I would think. A double room would be ok. Corridors vary, but can be narrow. Overall, I think you would be more comfy on a train than a plane. The bathrooms/showers in the compartments are smallish, but the doubles are ok... and each train by law has to have a couple of 'accessible' compartments, and the bathrooms in those are larger.

Amtrak's web site has a video 'tour' of their older and newer passenger cars with compartments.... check them out.

[Slinky]

Just how much is considered carry-on? I was thinking one of those small carts to hold a suitcase for 2 weeks clothing, laptop, CPAP, DVD/radio, all strapped onto the wheelie thing. 12 hour trip w/3 hour layover in Chicago. I have no idea of return date so don't know if they offer open-end round trip tickets and didn't price round-trip.What do you guys think or have to offer regarding the coach seat? the amount of "carry-on" luggage and the round trip ticket bit? Any advice or suggestions? Much more than $100 one way I can drive it as cheaply. Two tanks of gas one way and 12 hour drive.

Carry-on is essentially unlimited unless the car is full. There are racks over head (larger than airline bins) as well as shelves in a compartment at the end of each chair car. Bags have to be carry on size, but no one counts the number, and you can have as many ounces of liquids as you like!

Tickets can be written open ended. R/T is sometimes cheaper than two one-ways, but not always. Varies by route and season.

Not sure why you are getting two different prices for the same seat. You could call Amtrak and ask.

Happy Rails!

Thanks, BookBear. I was checking the prices on the Amtrak website. Flint, MI to Winona, MN, that's the way the listing come up. The two coach choices and two coach prices for the same trip, same time, same trains. Maybe they run a mix of older coaches and newer coaches???

And now a rather naive question: where does one begin to look for those wheelie thingies to buy to strap your luggage to to wheel thru the terminals, out on the street and etc.?? You see airline stewardesses, etc. w/their luggage on them or other traveling people w/them.

[OutaSync]

Slinky,

try tis:

https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_gw/1 ... ggage+cart

I think Walmart or any other big store will have them, also. Look in th esuitcase department.

Bev

[Slinky]

THANK YOU, OuttaSync and BookBear! Gads but I hate to shop. Decisons, decisions. I sure appreciate the help!

[jtm]

I've always been one to drive if the destination was 24 hours or less. But I'm seriously considering Flint, Michigan to Rochester, MN (actually, Winona) via Amtrak. There's two kind of coach seats offered, but no explanation of the difference. One is $82 one way and the other $102 one way. Carry-on luggage only. Just how much is considered carry-on? I was thinking one of those small carts to hold a suitcase for 2 weeks clothing, laptop, CPAP, DVD/radio, all strapped onto the wheelie thing. 12 hour trip w/3 hour layover in Chicago. I have no idea of return date so don't know if they offer open-end round trip tickets and didn't price round-trip.

What do you guys think or have to offer regarding the coach seat? the amount of "carry-on" luggage and the round trip ticket bit? Any advice or suggestions? Much more than $100 one way I can drive it as cheaply. Two tanks of gas one way and 12 hour drive.

The differance in the price of the coach seats offered on the day's I checked the same trip was on different train numbers. For your portion of the trip train 7 and 27 are actually the same train. The Empire Builder splits in Spokane, WA, with one part of the train continuing on to Seattle WA and the other part going to Portland OR. The seats should be in the same type of car, just in different cars.

As far as Amtrak's carry-on baggage policy:

http://www.amtrak.com/servlet/ContentSe ... 78&ssid=43

Laptop's and "breathing assistance devices" are excluded. I've never seen it actually enforced, but I wouldn't want to get part way into my trip and not be permitted to board a train because of excess baggage.

[Slinky]

Thanks, jtm!